Wie to Play in Six LPGA Tour Events

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, February 19, 2003

AP Sports Writer

Forget the sleep-overs, watching movies and hanging out at the mall, 13-year-old Michelle Wie has bigger plans this year _ competing against the best female golfers in the world.

Wie has accepted invitations to play in two more LPGA Tour events, giving her a total of six this season, the maximum allowed under a rule implemented this season. The previous limit for amateurs was four LPGA tournaments during a calendar year.

The eighth-grader from Honolulu accepted exemptions to the Safeway Classic in September and the Sports Today CJ Nine Bridges Classic in October, her family said Thursday.

The Safeway is played in Portland, Ore., while the Sports Today tournament is in Jeju, South Korea, the native country of Wie's parents.

Wie earlier accepted exemptions to play in the Kraft Nabisco Championship next month (Rancho Mirage, Calif.), the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in April (Stockbridge, Ga.), the ShopRite Classic in June (Galloway, N.J.), and the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic in August (Sylvania, Ohio).

Wie also plans to play in the U.S. Women's Public Links Amateur and the qualifying tournaments for the U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Girls' Junior and the U.S. Women's Amateur.

Last year at the Public Links, she became the youngest semifinalist in any women's amateur event run by the U.S. Golf Association.

By the time Wie is allowed to join the tour full-time, she might be considered a seasoned pro. LPGA rules prevent anyone from playing on tour full-time until their 18th birthday, however, Wie plans to attend college before turning pro.

"She still wants to go to college first, definitely, no question about it," her father, B.J. Wie, said. "Even when she graduates high school and if she receives endorsement deals, that's not going to change her mind."

Wie has been featured on national television, sports magazines and newspapers around the country. Golf fans have become engaged with the girl's playing ability _ which includes driving the ball 300 yards and beating some of the top golfers in Hawaii, both male and female.

Last year, at the age of 12, Wie played in three LPGA Tour events and missed the cut each time. She qualified for the Takefuji Classic and the Wendy's Championship and received a sponsor's exemption in the Asahi Ryokuken International.